I read that Peter Sutherland, the Irish chairman of energy giant BP, the world’s fourth-largest company, says that Ireland’s economy has remained afloat solely because of the country’s membership of the euro.

Speaking to The Irish Times at the Davos economic forum in Switzerland, Mr Sutherland said that if Ireland was not in the single European currency, the Irish economy would be “in a state of destruction”. He described as “absolutely appropriate” the comparison between Ireland and Iceland, a non-euro state whose economy has collapsed, made by European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso during a discussion on the European economy in Davos. “He was quite right to make it,” Mr Sutherland said. “There is no point trying to pretend now what our condition is. That condition is deeply, deeply worrying, so it behoves everybody to recognise this and to react accordingly.”

So, Mr Sutherland, pray tell us what Ireland should do?

“It behoves everybody to recognise this and to react accordingly. Mr Sutherland said the Irish banks needed to be dealt with “urgently” and that it was “absolutely necessary” for the country’s credibility that the Lisbon Treaty be voted through.

Ah – I see. The Europhiles never miss a chance to try and advance their agenda and so even though the Irish people said NO to the EU constitution, the new tactic is to tell them that unless they say YES later this year, then Ireland will become the new Iceland. The threat is clear. Ireland will be frozen out if the people seek to stand in the way of the EU constitution.

Here is just some basic info I could put together at a glance. I do understand that it will be above most of your heads.

API Access Counter The development of America’s vast domestic oil and natural gas resources that had been kept off-limits by Congress for decades could generate more government revenue, create new jobs and significantly boost domestic production. Want to learn more about increased production, decreased imports, and the cars and homes that could be powered by untapped U.S. resources? The API Access Counter enables you to explore resources and regions to understand the benefits of increased energy exploration. Off-limits US oil, gas worth $1.7 trillion to government: study

Karen Matusic 202.682.8118 matusick@api.orgWASHINGTON – The development of America’s vast domestic oil and natural gas resources that had been kept off-limits by Congress for decades could generate more than $1.7 trillion in government revenue, create thousands of new jobs and enhance the nation’s energy security by significantly boosting domestic production, a study released Monday shows.

The ICF International study, commissioned by the American Petroleum Institute (API), shows that developing the offshore areas that had been subject to Congressional moratoria until recently, as well as the resources in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and a small portion of currently unavailable federal lands in the Rockies, would lift U.S. crude oil production by as much as 2 million barrels per day in 2030, offsetting nearly a fifth of the nation’s imports. Natural gas production could increase by 5.34 billion cubic feet per day, or the equivalent of 61 percent of the expected natural gas imports in 2030.The study also estimates that the development of all U.S. oil and natural gas resources on federal lands could exceed $4 trillion over the life of the resources.

“This study underscores how the oil and natural gas industry can enhance America’s energy security and help solve our economic problems by increasing production of our nation’s vast oil and natural gas resources,” said API President and CEO Jack N. Gerard. “The U.S. oil and natural gas industry supports more than six million jobs, and more drilling for oil and natural gas will mean more energy for America, more well-paying jobs, and trillions of dollars of much-needed revenues that will help federal, state and local governments pay for critical services.”

According to the ICF study, U.S. crude oil production would rise by 36% by 2030 if development is permitted in the studied areas of the Outer Continental Shelf, ANWR and the Rockies and domestic natural gas production would rise by 10%. By 2030, this activity would create 160,000 jobs.API is the industry’s national trade association that represents all aspects of America’s oil and natural gas industry. Global professional services company ICF International partners with government and commercial clients to deliver consulting services and technology solutions in energy, climate change, environment, transportation, social programs, health, defense, and emergency management.Summary ReportSize: 58 KB Date: December 8, 2008

From Kipplinger The U.S. is sitting on the world’s largest, untapped oil reserves — reservoirs which energy experts know exist, but which have not yet been tapped and may not be attainable with current technology. In fact, such untapped reserves are estimated at about 2.3 trillion barrels, nearly three times more than the reserves held by Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) nations and sufficient to meet 300 years of demand — at today’s levels — for auto, truck, aircraft, heating and industrial fuel, without importing a single barrel of oil.

What’s the problem then? Why aren’t oil companies jumping to pump the black gold? Contrary to what some conspiracy theorists would have you believe, there is no cabal of oil companies and foreign governments blocking the way, bottling up U.S. oil production. The reality is much more mundane. Those untapped reserves are located in places that either Uncle Sam has put off-limits for environmental reasons or are too costly to get — or a combination of both.

I see that Turkey’s Prime Minister returned home to a hero’s welcome this morning after storming off stage at the World Economic Forum in Davos during a heated spat over Israel’s assault on Gaza. In the most dramatic moment of this year’s muted Davos conference, Recep Tayyip Erdogan walked off a panel discussion including Shimon Peres and Ban Ki-Moon after a moderator cut off his reply to a long and impassioned monologue by the Israeli President. Hamas has hailed the Turkish PM as a true hero. However, when we reflect on this, maybe we should not be in the least surprised?

Obama has shown his sophistication by insisting that his shiny new administration will engage in dialogue with Iran without any pre-conditions. So, how has Iran reacted?

“This request means Western ideology has become passive, that capitalist thought and the system of domination have failed,” Gholam Hossein Elham was quoted as saying by the Mehr news agency.”Negotiation is secondary, the main issue is that there is no way but for (the United States) to change,” he added.After nearly three decades of severed ties, Obama said shortly after taking office this month that he is willing to extend a diplomatic hand to Tehran if the Islamic republic is ready to “unclench its fist”.US President Barack Obama’s offer to talk to Iran shows that America’s policy of “domination” has failed, the government spokesman said on Saturday.”

And that’s how it is with the Mullahs. Either YOU dominate them, or they will dominate you. They sense weakness in Obama and they will be encouraged by his remarks to continue down the path to nukes. Israel cannot accept this for obvious reasons and so sooner or later there is going to be a moment of truth for Obama – does he stand by Iran OR does he stand by Israel. Liberals believe there is choice – I believe there is no such choice.

Old habits die hard. Comes the news that a 300lbs car bomb has been discovered near to a primary school in County Down here in Northern Ireland.

The bomb, which could have caused a substantial loss of life and much damage, was found in the back of a black Volkswagen Bora during a security operation in the village of Castlewellan, County Down, in Northern Ireland. The car was located in the Dublin Road and Burrenreagh Road area. An Army bomb disposal team carried out a detailed examination of the vehicle, while the surrounding area was searched.

Just a few comments.

1. When we hear the usual mantra from the political establishment that those behind this will achieve nothing because terrorism does not pay – should we laugh or weep?

2. Will Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness commend the bravery of the British Army in defusing this bomb?

3. I wonder what the target of this massive bomb was going to be? What sort of evil monsters spend their time planning such atrocities…….apart from the IRA, UVF, UDA, and whatever did happen to them?

I suppose this is the sort of local story that can happen anywhere but I thought it poignant on so many levels.

“The death of a 14-year-old boy on railway tracks near Portrush, County Antrim, is being treated as suspicious by police. It is understood police are investigating reports that Ryan Quinn was being chased just before he died. The incident was reported at about 2300 GMT on Friday night. Police have said they believe Ryan was socialising in a bar near to the scene of his death between 2100 GMT and 2300 GMT on Friday.”

To die as a consequence of being hit by a train is truly awful. For the young lad to have met this fate trying to escape some thugs pursuing him is so sad. I hope the Police prosecute those who chased him to his death.

I also note from the report that he was 14 years old. What was he doing “socialising in a bar”? If this is factually correct, serious questions have to be asked of both those who served him in the bar and also, and I say this with regret, his parents. NO 14 year old lad should be out drinking in bars.

I refer to a wonderful novel, not the Bush Administration reunion. On the 40th Anniversary of the author John Kennedy Toole’s disappearance and eventual tragic suicide, it deserves another read. And if you are one of those unhappy people who have yet to read it, by all means stop what you are doing and go get it today. You’ll never stop thanking me if you do.

A Confederacy of Dunces is set in New Orleans in the early 1960s. The 30-something hero, Ignatius J. Reilly, lives with his mother in delusional slothfulness and near poverty. Ignatius rails against the modern world, clutching to and relying on the medieval writer Boethius and The Confessions of Philosophy. The story deals with a series of hilarious misadventures as Ignatius fails at one job after the other. He encounters vivid characters along the way including the stripper Lana Lee, the capitalist Gus Levy, the black porter Bruma Jones, and of course the jewish beatnick and revolutionary Myrna Minkoff. Lesbians, Hot Dog Vendors, Cops, Prostitutes and Parrots abound. Some pages take half an hour to read because you laugh too hard to continue.

The author, although educated, had a troubled life. He was never published in his lifetime. His mother brought the manuscript to New Orleans novelist Walker Percy and demanded he read the work of her dead son. Percy, a southern gentleman agreed, in a mixture of decency and despair. As he wrote in his introduction, he hoped it would be bad enough to quickly put down and not just good enough that he would have to keep reading. As he read it he recognized it as a masterpiece. It was published 11 years after Toole’s death, and won the Pulitzer Prize.

It has consistently confounded Hollywood, who have yet to ruin it by turning it into a movie. Read it before they do. Mixed with the laughter as Percy noted, is the sadness of knowing the author never knew of the book’s success, and that his death deprived us of further work. The characters are unforgettable, the story fresh as ever, and the portrayal of the City of New Orleans probably the best anyone has ever done.

You do not defeat terrorism by rewarding terrorists, regardless of how many bleeding heart liberals argue otherwise. Want to know where that flawed approach leads to? Read UNIONISM DECAYED 1997-2007 - It's my first book and it explains what happens when you seeek to appease terrorists and call it peace. It's available right now for ATW readers so make sure you get your copy by emailing the editor! This is the book that dissents from the herd mentality that doing wrong can lead to being right. It doesn't and this book spells out WHY.

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